Gallery: 40 most beautiful places in South Korea
Here are the places where travel photographers fall in love, then go back to again and again
By Frances Cha 12 August, 2013
With these incredible travel spots throughout South Korea looking the way they do, it’s kind of hard to understand why a whopping one-fifth of the country's population lives on top of each other in Seoul.
As glitzy and glittering as it is, the capital, after all, takes up less than one percent of the entire country.
To get this list of beautiful places, we asked veteran travel photographers who know the country from tip to spine to tail and who’ve been photographing Korean landscapes and people for decades.
Photographers Seo Heun Kang, Kim Bong-Sun and Im Jay-cheon shared their favorite spots around Korea. Three or four appeared in our article 50 beautiful places to visit in Korea, but we haven’t covered most of these places before.
Which is your favorite photo? Which South Korean destination do you most want to visit? Let us know in the comments section.
40. Sareung
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This UNESCO World Heritage site is actually the royal tomb of Queen Jeongsun (1440-1521), the queen of the Joseon Dynasty’s sixth king, Danjong, who ruled for three short years before being forced to abdicate the throne by a power-hungry uncle.
“This place houses one of the most beautifully kept pine tree forests in the Seoul vicinity, where the prettiest pine trees are grown and sent to the palace gardens or other royal tombs,” says photographer Seo Heun Kang, who took this photo.
Access to the tomb area is restricted to those with “the purpose of academic research and field investigation,” reporters and guests with “the purpose of education and worship.”
Prior appointments must be made through the management office at +82 31 573 8124.
Sareung-ri Jingeon-eup Namyangju Gyeonggi Province
39. Sambuyeon Falls
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Legend has it that a dragon once flew out from this 20-meter-high waterfall -- that's why the name of the nearby village Yonghwadong begins with the character for dragon.
“This is one of the eight sights of Cheorwon, and is a sight to see especially after rain when the falls swell,” says photographer Seo.
Jeong Seon, one of the most celebrated artists from the Joseon Dynasty, fell in love with this waterfall and painted it immediately.
Sincheorwon-si Galmal-eup, Gangwon Province
38. Namhansanseong Fortress
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Located on Mt. Namhan, this 12-kilometer-long earthen fortress was originally built 2,000 years ago and reconstructed in 1621.
It was one of the four big fortresses protecting the country’s capital, then called Hanyang.
“It’s a great place for day excursions, as there are many hiking trails,” says Seo.
Sanseong-ri Jungbu-myeon Gwangju-si Gyeonggi Province
37. Seonjeongneung
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This UNESCO World Heritage Site comprises royal tombs of Joseon’s ninth King Seongjong, his queen Jeonghyeon and son King Jungjon.
Located among a “forest of skyscrapers” in Gangnam, Seoul, the tombs are open to visitors daily (excluding Mondays) for a fee of less than $1.
Seolleung-ro 100-gil, Gangnam-gu
36. Gobungun, Changyeong
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These ancient tombs date to the Gaya confederacy of the 5th and 6th centuries.